Repeating and stopping attachment for phonographs



FMH. ADAMS. REPEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31.1914- RENEWED OCT. 5.1917.

,3 1 7,259 I Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET T.

F.H.ADAMS.

REFEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31.1914. RENEWED OCT. 5.1917.

1,317,259. PatentedSept. 30, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEE-T 2- )??251 use 1 66am A V,

FRANK H. ADAMS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

REPEATING AND STOPPING ATTACHMEN '1 FOR PHONOGRAIPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 30,1919.

Application filed August 31, 1914, Serial No. 859,271. Renewed October 5, 1917. Serial No. 195,001.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Repeating and Stopping Attachments for Phonographs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an automatic repeating and stopping attachment for phonographs and is an improvement over the construction forming the subject matter of my prior application Serial No. 826,489, filed March 23, 1914.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide .certain improvements which render the operation of the attachment more satisfactory and more silent. More specifically considered, the invention aims to provide an arrangement whereby the track arm of my prior construction will be quietly and gradually lowered to its nor mal position after it has been swung up- Wardly or elevated for the purpose of restoring the sound box and sound tube to starting position.

My invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a disk phonograph equipped with my inventioh. Fig. 2 is a view showing in side elevation the repeating and stopping attachment together with those parts with which the attachment directly cooperates. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the track arm. Fig- 4 is a sectional view of the same, the section being taken along the line 4--l of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation with parts in section showing particu larly the track arm elevating and lowering device and the dog which cooperates therewith. Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the U-tube of the tone arm. Fig. 7 is a plan View of a modified form of the elevating and lowering device.

The present invention is adjunctive and in the nature of an attachment to av phonograph and in this case to a disk phonograph of well known construction which comprises a case or cabinet 1 and a turntable 2 which is adapted to be rotated in the usual manner about a vertical axis and is adapted to support a disk record 3. It comprises also a sound box 1 carrying a needle or stylus 5 and supported on a sound tube or tone arm 5 which includes a taper tube 6 adapted to turn about a vertical axis 6 and a U-tube 7 to which the sound box 4 is attached and which is adapted to turn about a horizontal axis 7 on thefree end of the taper tube 6. A brake or stop mechanism of common construction is here shown and this includes a member 8 pivoted on a vertical axis 8 adjacent the periphery of the turntable and comprising a shifter finger 8-, a projection 8 carrying a piece of rubber or other soft friction material adapted to engage the periphery of the turntable and a spring 8 a'dapted'to hold the member 8 either in oil or in braking position.

The attachment includes an arm 10 which will be referred to as the track arm, and p turntable or record,the inner end of the track arm being adjacent the center of the turntable and record. This track arm, when in normal position, is substantially horizontal and is beneath and adjacent to the sound box. Preferably the edge of the track arm toward the needle 5 is turned or curved about a center which substantially coincides with the vertical'axis 6*, about which the sound tube, as a whole, turns during the playing of a record. The inner end of the track arm is adapted to be elevated and thence lowered, so as to incline the track arm, and when the track arm is being elevated or swung upwardly, it is adapted to engage a part which moves with the sound box, so as to swing upwardly about the axis 7 the U-tube and the parts carried thereby, including the sound box and needle. In this case the part which is engaged by the track arm when the latter is being inclined is a. roller 11 mounted in the lower end of an arm 11 carried by a clamp 12 which is clamped to the U-tube at the rear side of the sound box. The angle of inclination is such that the sound tube as a whole and all the parts carried thereby move by gravity toward the by the track arm and moved inwardly at the Z In my prior application above'referredto,

the track arm is elevated or inclined by a:

a spiral thread or groove WhlOh is adapted to be engaged'by the end of a slide carried proper instant into the spiral groove by the are restored to starting position, the slide is retracted from the spiral elevating groove mal horizontal position. This dropping of the track arm from its upper inclined to its normal position is unsatisfaetory because ofthe resulting noise and shock.

With the present mechanism the track ar is elevated, and thence is gradually and quietly lowered to normal position, and the means for accomplishing this includes an elevating and lowering device 13-, having an openlng which is adapted to receive or be fitted onto the upper end of the central turntable spindle 2 so as to rotate there- ,with. This device 13 is provided with a horizontal circular base 13 which is adapted to rest on the central part of the record, and an upwardly extending cylindrical portion 13 having two spiral grooves or threads 13 and 13 which maybe termed the elevating groove or thread and the lowering groove or thread. These grooves cross each other as shown, and may be regarded as right and left hand spiral grooves, one extending from the lower portion of the cylinder 13 to the upper portion and the "other fromv the upper portion to the lower groove which extends from the lower portion to the top of the cylinder and then reverses and extends downwardly to the bottom.

'Adapted to coeperate with these spiral grooves is a dog 14. which is pivoted on a vertical axis at the inner end of the track arm 10. This dog is provided with a re cessed portion forming two oppositely disposed fingers or pawls 14 and 14", which extend toward each other as shown, and receive between their ends. the grooved cylinder 13". When the dog is rocked in one direction finger 14 is moved into the elevating spiral groove causing the track arm to be elevated, and when the 'dog is rocked in the opposite direction finger 14 enters the lowering spiral groove and the track arm is lowered. The space between the inner ends of these fingers is slightly less than theoutside diameter of the cylinder 13' so that when the dog is rocked in the manner hereinafter described the end of one fin er will enter one groove just before the en of the 'other finger. leaves the other groove. I ThlS dog" has a limited range of rocking movement just sufiicient tomove the ends of the awls into and out of the grooves, and is adapted to be heldin either of its positions'by a spring 14 which is connected at one end to the dog and at its opposite end to a projection 10? ofthe track arm, see particularly Fig. 3. j

' -'Normally, the track arm is in horizontal position and the two fingers 1 1 and 1 1" of dog 14 rests upon thebase 13E of the and the track arm as a whole drops to nor- \elevating and lowering device 13, as shown shown. As soon as the needle reachesthe end of the playing groove in the record, the needle or some other part which moves with the sound box engages a spiral groove, shoulder or'track of much sharper inclination than the sound groove possesses, so as to cause some part which moves with the sound box to engage and shift the dog and thus cause finger let of the dog to move into the elevating spiral groove. As shown in Fig. 1, the record is provided with a short and rather steep. spiral groove 3 whose outer end is near the end of the playing groove and which is adapted to be engaged by the needle insuch manner that'as soon as the playing of the record is completed I the needle enters-said groove which swings the needle, sound box and sound tube inwardly toward the center of the record so as to cause the shifting of the dog. In this instance the dog is shifted by an arm or finger 16 (see Figs. 2 and 6) which is carr1ed by and extends downwardly from the inner end of the clamp 12 in the rear of the sound box and needle and which upon the inward movement of the sound box above described engages a rearwardly extending projection 14 of dog 14:. The resulting rocking movement imparted to. the dog causes finger 149 10 enter the elevating groove which now elevates said finger and the track bar. As the track bar is elevated it engages roller 11, lifting the needle clear of the record and swinging the U-tube about axis 7. Thereupon the sound tube as a whole and the parts carried thereby move by gravity to starting position.

' Finger 14 of dog 14:.continues to travel up the spiral groove until it reaches the upper end of the groove when the dog is rocked to its former position by'a cam 13 III ' ing groove, whereupon the playing of the When the sound tube is swung outwardly in the manner above stated a stop device will be encountered to limit the outward movement when the needle reaches starting position, and upon the lowering of the inclined track bar in the manner above described the needle will be lowered onto the record at or about the beginning of the playrecord will be repeated. To stop the outward swinging movement of the sound tube I utilize a stop member in the form of a lever 17, which is pivoted at117 on the lower side of the track arm 10 adjacent the periphery of the turntable. This member 17 is provided with two stop shoulders 17 b and 17, either of which is adapted to be moved outwardly into the path of the needle soas I to be engaged thereby when the sound tube swings outwardly; These stop shoulders 17 b and 17 are so spaced as to adapt the attachment for two standard sizes of records,

namely the 12" and the 10". For a 12 record the stop shoulder 17 wlll be utlllzed, in which event the stop member or lever 17 will be in position shown in Fig. 1. For a 10" record the member 17 will be swung on its .pivotal axis so as to cause the stop shoulder 17 to be moved outwardly into the path of the needle.

This member 17 in addition to serving as as stop to limit'the outward swinging movement of the sound tube, as above described, is utilized also in conjunction with the brake or stop member 8 to automatically cause the stopping of the instrument when the playing of the record is completed, that is when the repeating action is not desired. If it 1s desired that the instrument be stopped upon the completion of the playing of the record the lever 17 will be swung to a position such that the end of the shoulder 17 will be just beneath the end of the finger 8 when thls finger is swung to remove the brake or stop device 8 from the periphery of the turn table. By reason of the fact that the end of this shoulder 17 is beneath the finger 8" when the playing of the record is completed when the track bar is being elevated, the shoulder 17 will engage the finger 8 producing on the latter a camming action and ment.

The lever 17 may be held in any one of its three adjusted positions by the frictional engagement between said lever and the track bar, but in this case the lever is held in any one of its adjusted positions by a tongue 17 adapted to engage in notches 17 provided on the underside of the track bar as shown in Figs.,3 and 4.

The above construction may be varied in several particulars without departing fromthis case pivoted dog) at the inner end of I i the track bar may be in a 'form other than here shown. The form of the brake or stop mechanism may be varied considerably without afi'ecting its function either as a manually operable or automatic stopping device. It is not essential either that the spiral groove or shoulder which is adapted to be engaged by the needle or other part to cause the rocking of the dog or other movable part on the inner end of the track bar preparatory to the elevating of the track bar, be provided in the record itself. As before stated and as shown on Fig. 1, this may be accomplished by providing a spiral groove 3 in the record, said groove beginning near the end of the playing groove. Insteadof providing a groove in the record I may, for example, provide a groove in the base of the elevating and lowering device. In Fig. 7 I have shown a groove 18 in a member 19 extending spirally outward from the 'base of the elevatlngand lowering device designated 20 in Fig. 7. As here shown, this member 19 is hinged or pivoted to the base so that it may be swung, outwardly to any desired position. It may be held in any adjusted position by friction, or I may use a dowel pin or equivalent projection 21, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7, adapted to be extended into a suitably located opening in the. record. This groove may be engaged by any suitable part moving with the sound box, preferably, however, it will be engaged at the-proper instant by an arm projecting downwardly from the U-tube 7, such for example, asthe same arm 16 which is utilized to rock-the pivoted dog 14.

The word phonograph as used in the specification and claims is not intended to limit the invention to a machine sold under the name, phonograph, but includes any sound reproducing or so-called talking machine utilizing a disk record and'of the general type herein'shown and described,

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. In combination with a phonograph having record rotating means and a tone arm, of means for automatically moving the tone arm toward starting position, comprising a member adapted to extend over the record rotating means for shifting the tone arm, an elevating and lowering member located. above the record rotating means and rotating therewith, said member having means for elevating and lowering said first member, and means for causing operative engagement between said members.

2. In combination with a phonograph having a record rotating means and a sound box of a repeating attachment, comprising a pivoted member adapted to extend over I theqrecord rotating meansfor shifting the sound box,-an elevating and lowering memadapted to rotate with the record ro-' for causing. said membersto be brought into operative relationship. 4

3. In combination with'a phonographhaving a record rotating means and a sound box, a track bar extending when in operative position inwardly over the record tating means adjacent the adapted to the latter,'anda member rotated by the record rotating means, and having grooves for elevating and lowering said track bar.

4. In combination with a phonograph having a record rotating means and a sound box, a pivoted member extending when 1n operativeiposition over the record rotating means a'djacentthe sound box, and adapte to carrythe sound box toward starting) position, a second member adapted to 5 tated by the record rotating means, and having threads or grooves for elevating and lowering said first member, and means at the inner end of said first member for engaging said threads or grooves. 1

' 5. In combination with a phonograph havin a record rotating means and a sound box, 0 a member adapted to extend over the record rotating means'adjacentflthe sound box and adapted when elevated to shift the soundbox,-a second member adapted to -r0- tate with .the record rotating means, and having elevating and lowering grooves, means carried by said first member adapted to successively engage said grooves, and

40 means whereby said first named means is caused to engage the lowering groove when it reaches the end of the elevating groove. 6. In combination with a phonograph having a record rotating means and a sound box, of a trackba'r pivoted at the side of the record rotating means, and adapted to extend over the latter adjacent the sound box, means movable with the sound box adapted tobe engaged and lifted by said pivoted member when the inner end of the latter is elevated, a second member adapted to be rotated by the record rotating means and having elevating and lowering spiral. threads, a device carried by said track bar adapted to successively engage said threads, means for causing said device to be moved into engagement with the elevating thread, and means forautomatically causing said device to engage the lowerin' thread when .60 said device reaches the end 0 the elevating thread. e 7. In combination with a ,phonograph having a record rotating means and a sound box, of a repeating attachment comprising a member adapted to extend inwardly over box, means mov r07 sound box and e ro- I cause said other portion thereof to engage therecord rotating means adjacent the sound a le with the sound box for. engaging said member when the latter is I elevated, a rotary member adapted: to be rotated by the record rotating means, said r0- 7'0 .tary memberhaving elevating and lowering spiral grooves, a device carried by said first memberand having portions adapted to suecessively engage the elevating and lowering grooves, means'for controlling the enga emet of one portion of said'device with t e elevating groove, and means for causing the other portion of said device to engage the lowering groove. r

8. In combination with. a phonograph having a record rotating means'and a sound box, of an automatic repeating attachment comprising a track bar adapted to extend over the record 'rotatin means adjacent the sound box, a rotary evice adapted to be rotated by the record rotating means and having elevating and lowering spiral grooves, a movable device carried bythe track bar and having portions adapted to successively engage in said grooves, means for causing one of said portions to engage in the elevating groove, and means at the upper end of said elevating roove for engaging saiddevice and for shifting the same to 96 in the lowering groove.

9. In combinatlon w1 th a phonograph having a record rotating means, a sound box and a needle adapted to engage a'record, of an automatic feeding attac en-t, com rising atrack bar pivoted at the side 0 the record rotating means, and adapted to extend inwardly adjacent the sound box, a rotary member adapted to be rotated by the record rotating means and having means for elevating and then gradually lowering the inner end of said track bar, a movable device carried by the track bar adapted to be shifted into engagement with said rotary member, and means separate from'the needle movable with the sound box for engagin said movabledevice carried by the trac '.bar to cause the engagement of said device with sald rotary member.

'10. In combination with a phonograph having record rotating means and a tone arm, of means for automatically restoring the tone arm to a starting position, comprising a track bar adapted toextend over the record rotating'means, an elevating and lowering member adapted to be rotated by the record rotating means, a dog carried by the track bar adapted to engage the elevating and lowering member, said dog having one portion which engages said member to ele-- 1'25 vate the track bar, and another portion which engages said member to lower the track bar.

11. In combination with a phonograph having record rotating means and a tone 180 arm, of means for automatically restoring the tone arm to starting position, comprising a track bar adapted to extend over the record rotating means, an elevating and lowering member for the track bar having elevating and lowering grooves, a movable member carried by the track bar and havin separate portions adapted to engage said two grooves, means for causing one of said portions to engage the elevating groove,'and means for causing the other portion to subsequently engage the lowering groove.

12. A repeating mechanism for sound re' producing machlnes having a rotary turn table adapted to receive a disk record, and a swinging tone arm and sound box; said mechanism comprising an arm adapted to be pivoted at the side of the turntable and to extend inwardly over the same toward the center thereof, and means for swinging said arm about its pivot comprising a member adapted to be positioned coaxially with the turntable above a record thereon so as to rotate with the turntable, said member having elevating and lowering spiral grooves for first elevating and then lowermg'the inner end of said arm.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

A J. Henson. A. F. Kwrs. 

